Deep Checks

Deep Checks Research Overview Deep Checks is a founder-to-investor matching platform built by Julian Capital, a deeptech seed fund, to efficiently connect deeptech founders worldwide with venture capital investors specializing in their specific technology niches. Launched as a free service, Deep Checks has become "the largest source of deeptech deal flow in the world" according to Julian Capital's own positioning. Investment Model Deep Checks operates as a matching and curation platform rather than a traditional venture fund. The platform is built by Julian Capital (a deeptech seed investor writing $750K-$1M checks) but serves a network of 50+ deeptech-focused VCs, angel investors, and startup founders. The platform does not invest directly but facilitates warm introductions between founders and relevant investors. Core Value Proposition For Founders: Submit a single deck and reach 50+ deeptech VCs simultaneously Pre-screened introductions (Deep Checks reviews every deck and routes to relevant investors) No program to attend, no application process friction Typical check sizes: $500K-$5M for deeptech startups Average response time: deals reviewed every 3 weeks For Investors: Access to curated deeptech deal flow across all sectors Quality pre-screening of founders and business plans Network effects with 50+ other active deeptech investors Founder CRM with deep coverage of niche deeptech sectors (mining robotics, photonic chips, biotech, climate, etc.) The Network Deep Checks has assembled a network of prominent deeptech investors including: Lead Investors Featured: Leo Polovets (Humba Ventures, Susa Ventures co-founder) Chris Sacca (Lowercase Capital, Lowercarbon Capital) Ali Tamaseb (DCVC, author of "Super Founders") Rayyan Islam (8090 Industries) Julian Shapiro (Julian Capital) Joe Wilson (Undeterred Capital) Ian Rountree (Cantos Ventures) Ariana Thacker (Conscience VC) Seth Bannon (Fifty Years) Packy McCormick (Not Boring Capital) Victor Wang (HOF Capital) Deeptech Founder Angels: Gaurab Chakrabarti (CEO, Solugen - synthetic biology) John Gedmark (CEO & Cofounder, Astranis - satellite communications) Investment Thesis Deep Checks targets the full spectrum of deeptech sectors where traditional venture capital has historically underinvested due to complexity and scientific risk: Sector Coverage: Semiconductors and chips (photonics, isotope enrichment) Energy (nuclear, solar, geothermal, hydrogen) Robotics (manufacturing, mining, food processing) Biotech and life sciences (synthetic biology, cell culture) Space and aerospace (satellites, materials) Climate and sustainability technologies Manufacturing and advanced materials Defense and security technologies Stage and Check Size Deep Checks predominantly serves pre-seed and seed stage founders: Typical valuation cap: ~$20M (lower valuations receive more attention) Check sizes: $500K-$5M from participating investors First-check investors: Multiple funds (Julian Capital, Undeterred, Humba, etc.) Average check from Julian Capital: $750K-$1M Decision timeline: 14 days for Julian Capital; varies for other partners Geographic Focus Global with emphasis on: United States : San Francisco Bay Area (HQ), New York, Seattle Europe : London, Berlin Israel : Growing presence Platform explicitly welcomes worldwide deeptech founders Founder-Friendly Characteristics No Program Requirements : Founders submit decks directly; no accelerator or bootcamp Pre-screening Value : Deep Checks team reviews every deck and explains to investors why the founder is interesting Warm Intros : Not cold outreach - Deep Checks sends contextualized introductions Speed : 3-week review cycle; individual investors decide quickly (Julian Capital: 14 days) Network Effects : Being featured creates pressure on investors to evaluate quickly, potentially improving founder negotiating power Operator Support : Julian Capital provides post-investment operator support (website design, GTM strategy, customer intros) Recent Momentum and Activity As of early 2026: Events : Quarterly Deep Checks founder dinners (SF Dec 2024, NYC Feb 2025) Scout Program : Launched advanced scout program for experienced VCs and scientists (fewer than 25 participants) Portfolio Velocity : Recent notable portfolio companies (2025) include Heritable Ag (pre-seed funded through Deep Checks), GreenLib ($1.5M pre-seed), and others Decks Reviewed : Continuously processing submissions with accelerating founder interest Network Growth : Expanding from initial core VCs to 50+ institutional investors Competitive Advantages Deeptech Specialization : Unlike general founder networks (Doordash, etc.), Deep Checks is exclusively deeptech-focused Founder Network Effects : Built-in relationships with thousands of scientific founders (Solugen CEO, Astranis CEO, etc.) VC Network : 50+ investors with genuine deeptech expertise, not financial generalists Curation Quality : Deep Checks team personally reviews and contextualizes every submission Builder Mindset : Founded by operators (Julian Shapiro: Webflow, DemandCurve; Jacob Jackson: MedStack, Mammoth) Post-Investment Value : Operator support beyond capital (Julian Capital designs websites, does GTM strategy) Fundraising Success Stories Heritable Ag : Closed $1M seed through Deep Checks (founder Brad Zamft: "Once I submitted, my email started blowing up with DocSend notifications. I booked meetings with a dozen firms and closed oversubscribed in 2-3 weeks") GreenLib : $1.5M pre-seed entirely funded through Deep Checks (founder Fred Rostami: "The entire pre-seed through Deep Checks. We got warm, well-matched intros to investors who actually got what we were building") Multiple portfolio companies with successful fundraising rounds in 2025 Unique Model Characteristics Deep Checks operates a three-party marketplace : Supply : Deeptech founders submit decks (valuation cap ~$20M) Curation : Deep Checks team reviews and routes to relevant investors Demand : 50+ investors (institutional VCs and founder angels) browse curated deal flow This differs from traditional venture capital: Not a fund with committed capital Not an accelerator with a cohort or program Not a standard founder network with broad participation Instead: a specialized deal routing and curation service connecting founders with capital Decision Process and Involvement Decision Process : Individual investors (not committee) make investment decisions Timeline : Varies by investor (Julian Capital: 14 days; others: 3-week batches) Involvement Level : Ranges from passive (some investors) to board-seat operators (Julian Capital, others) Co-investment : Multiple checks common; founders often close rounds oversubscribed Data and Transparency Deep Checks provides: Deck review counter (live countdown) on homepage Quarterly "Deep Checks Dozen" highlighting best startups Success stories and founder testimonials Transparent fee structure (free for founders, institutional participation) Public investor bios and investment theses Technical Infrastructure Founder CRM : Unparalleled coverage across deeptech niches (per Julian Capital) Deck Processing : Automated routing to relevant investors based on technology/sector Communication : Integrated email system (DocSend integration for tracking) Built by : Team at Julian Capital with input from deeptech community Weaknesses and Limitations Deeptech Only : Explicitly excludes traditional SaaS/software companies Valuation Cap : Companies above ~$20M valuation receive less attention Capital Check Size : Most common range is $500K-$1M (smaller than some later-stage focused VCs) No Feedback : Deep Checks does not provide feedback to rejected founders Investor Discretion : Individual investors make decisions; no guaranteed capital Recent Announcements and Innovations Agentic Workflow Evaluation : Deep Checks (the software product at deepchecks.com) launched LLM evaluation for agentic AI systems (distinct from the VC platform) Scout Program : New program for deeptech scouts and scientists to gain deal flow access and financial upside Expanded Geography : Recent NYC event (Feb 2025) signals expansion beyond SF Founder Education : Growing content (fundraising guides, pitching guides, founder resources) Team and Leadership Julian Shapiro (Managing Partner, Julian Capital & Creator of Deep Checks) VP of Marketing at Webflow ($4B valuation) Founder of DemandCurve (Y Combinator S19) Creator of Velocity.js (popular open-source animation library, used by Uber, Samsung, WhatsApp) Known for longform startup handbooks and growth marketing expertise Jacob Jackson (General Manager, Deep Checks) Founder and startup revenue leader CRO at MedStack (healthcare DevOps) Head of Growth at Mammoth (climate tech) Extensive sales and operations experience John Forbes (General Manager, Deep Checks) Partner at Dorm Room Fund (4 years, led competitive investments) Chief of Staff at disaster coordination platform Sales and product experience from 0 to PMF Conclusion Deep Checks represents a new model in venture capital: a specialized matching platform that solves a real problem in deeptech fundraising (founders can't easily find relevant VCs, and VCs struggle with deeptech deal flow). Rather than managing a traditional fund, the Deep Checks team has built infrastructure and network effects to facilitate connections at scale. The platform's success is evidenced by: Hundreds of deeptech startups submitting decks 50+ institutional investors participating Multiple founder success stories with oversubscribed rounds Rapid growth and geographic expansion Becoming the "largest source of deeptech deal flow in the world" Deep Checks is particularly useful for science-first founders building hardware, biotech, robotics, or infrastructure (not traditional B2B SaaS) who need to identify and reach out-of-market investors with domain expertise in their specific niche.